San Francisco vindicator., 1887-05-02
- :
ITALY'S DEAD KING. 3
A CHANCE VISIT TO THE ETERNAL
CITY RECALLED.

Faultless Features Refined by Suffer-
ing-The Kings Funeral.
1t was by an odd series of chances that
I found myself in Rome in the early
spring of the year 1879, the most eventful
year for the eternal city since that season,
when Victor Emmanuel and his court
came to take up their abode in the place of
the Caesars What time of excitement it
was! ii Re Gallant Umo lay dying at
the quirinal. At the vatican his old en-
emy, Plus TX, was stricken, too, by a
mortal disease. The king, always good
Catholic, it was said had sent to ask the
holy father for his blessing, and all Rome
held its breath and waited. Would the
head Of the fallen power forgive his vic
torious enemy, now that both were so
soon to yield to the universal conquerer?
Would the great soldier and the good
and gentle priest, who had waged such
bitter war, die at peace with one
another? Messenger after messenger
was dispatched from the chamber of
death on Quirinal hill to the sick room of
the prisoner of the vatican. They all
came back silent, till at last one hnmble
monk, who had prayed long beside the
dying king, was sent, and came back
bringing with him promise of peace. 1t
was not the king, Victor Emanuel, who
asked forgiveness for his heroic life, for
his glorious action-the freeing of Italy
but it was the man, human and faulty,
asking absolution at the hands of the high
priest of his religion. All this may be
history, it may be fable; cannot vouch
for it; but it was what was said, whis-
pered rather, at every street corner in
Rome. The city was shaken to its founda-
ton; the heart of the people was stirred to
its inmost depth. Even the Indifferent
foreign colonies Of expatriated English
and Americans were swayed by the tre
mendous passion of the moment The
kings hour came. The great captain
passed away, and the city sat and
mourned in sackcloth and ashes. A
great wall went up from the party of the
whites, and even the blacks were magnan-
imous and silent. They, too, were soon
to lose the good man who had so long
stood at their head.
COMPANION IN ARMS.
Italy mourned her fallen hero; but
when the time had come to lay away what
was mortal of the beloved son, she rose
and clad herself in garments of somber
splendor, and made for him funeral the
like of which the world has not often
seen. 1t was rumored that his old ieuten-
ant, Garibaldi, was coming from rocky
Caprera to take part in the obsequies
The estrangement between the two Of
later years-it had never been of the
heart, but of the head-was utterly for
gotten, will be forgotten in history, and
Garibaldi, who had set the crown of Italy
upon the head of Victor Emmanuel, was
coming to look once more upon the face
of his old companion in arms. This was
whispered ON the Corso, but few people
gave credence to the rumor. 1t was said
that Garibaldi would never walk or stand
again. He, too, was laid low by griev.
Gus illness, and his death could not be far
Off
1t was by very singular series of
chances that l happened to go on that soft
afternoon, when the air was full of the
whispers of the spring, up to the great
railroad station somewhere in the new
part of the city. Some friends were going
to meet young lady who was about TO
arrive on an incoming train. AS we drew
near the depot we found it surrounded by
dense mass of humanity. Policemen
and soldiers were on every side to main
tain an order which no one seemed in the
least inclined to disturb 1t was very
quiet, serious faced crowd, and no one
laughed or jested. For more than week
in all that great city never heard
laugh We asked an officer of the Ber-
celieri, who stood near us, what the people
were all waiting for. s'Some people say"
he answered, ''that Garibaldi is to arrive
on the train which is now due, but who
can tell? They have been waiting for him
for two days past, and looking for him ON
every train" We decided to wait until
the train should arrive, and place was
made for me on step inside some rail-
ings. where I stood better chance of
keeping a little breath in my body. Those
who were nearest caught the roar of the
incoming locomotive, and the tidings
spread that the train had arrived. A
shiver of excitement shook the crowd,
which stirred and swayed and then stood
silent again and waited. All eyes were
fixed on the impassive front of the great
stone station. A man, who must have
been sailor, had clambered high up to a
place from which he could command
view of the station. He it was who had
announced the coming of the train. IT
was he who, from his high place, could
overlook the heads of the people, and who
cried aloud, in a hoarse whisper; He has
comeH'
THE OLD RED SHIRT.
The news was felt rather than heard,
and, when the gems darmes and the mill
tary guard of honor appeared, and the
order was given to make room, the crowd
shrank silently back on either side of the
roadway, leaving a path wide enough for
the line of horsemen, four deep, to pass.
These went on unsaluted, though there
were officers among them who were the
heroes of the people, but, when the
carriage appeared, the crowd pressed for
ward and murmur was heard which
sounded like great sigh. A few men
shouted out the patriots name, but for
the most part there was q grieved silence,
broken only by sighs and cxclamations Of
pity. Men and women wfpt as the large
carriage made its way slowly past them.
/ was standing on some steps a .IouIe
higher than the mass of the people, and q
Young woman who was standing below
me with her child upon her shoulder
asked me to lift the little fellow up that
he might look upon the face of Garbaldi.
The officer who had befriended us lifted
the child, who was too much awed
to cry, over the railings and into my arms.
remember the mother stretched her hand
through the CRATE and patted the fat little
leg reassuringly. The carriage was al
most on line with our vision and In
moment moro had crossed it. Lying upon
pillowed litter, with closed eyes and
clasped hands, saw for the first and only
time Garibaldi. He wore the old red shirt
anii the wide, soft gray felt hat, and there
was a sash about his waist, just as / had
seen it in o Thousand r'ctures, but the
beauty of the face I had never seen sug-